Staff Reports | Business & Commerce
When V&P Nurseries’ founder Demetrios Vlachos first came to the Valley of the Sun some 70 years ago as an international student from Greece, he could never have imagined that with his son Niko, they would own and operate one of the largest commercial-scale nurseries in the southwest.
The full story of Demetrios’ arrival in Arizona, his studies at ASU, and genesis of what would become V&P is a true tale of the American dream.
What started as a serendipitous receipt of Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Red Bird of Paradise) seeds collected along the coast of Baja California, and growing those seeds in coffee cans at their house, has grown into a 300-acre operation in Queen Creek and Chino Valley with more than 200 employees.
V&P has established themselves as one of the leaders in growing drought tolerant and sub-tropical plant varieties to provide for long-established local nurseries like Berridge, Whitfill, Harper, and more, while meeting the needs of larger corporate clients like Home Depot and master planned communities like Teravalis in Buckeye. Now celebrating 46 years in business, the Vlachos family and their long-tenured team continue to identify ways to improve their products in the increasingly extreme environment of Arizona while maintaining and innovating sustainable practices, specifically water management.
“From where we started to where we are today, we have had to change with the times and have had a front seat to the massive growth of Metro-Phoenix and the Southwest at large,” said Niko Vlachos from V&P in a prepared statement. “But throughout, we have always prioritized our process, the education and care of our people, and the innovations and science necessary to meet the needs of our clientele. We take great care to deliver product that can grow and thrive in our beautiful desert.”
Following the groundbreaking of Teravalis, a 37,000-acre master planned community in Buckeye from renowned developer Howard Hughes Holdings, landscape architects from ABLA began concepting the vegetation palette of the future community with V&P. With prospect to build 100,000 homes over the next 50 years, and the first village of Floreo grand opening in 2025, Teravalis sought a responsible partner with extensive experience in the varied micro-climates of the Valley to select plant varieties that will grow with the community, and in a water-wise manner.
“The thoughtful proactivity of the Teravalis team—as it relates to their collaboration with us on selecting the plants and trees that will create the aesthetic they want for their future residents, while being hyper-mindful of the water resources necessary for these plants to thrive—has been refreshing,” said Mr. Vlachos. “For us to be able to leverage our nearly five decades of experience to impact this community that will be built over the next five decades is a point of pride, and we look forward to growing along with that community.”
In looking at the past, but also planning for the future, V&P Nurseries and the Vlachos’ hope to influence the next generation of horticulturists through education and engagement in the industry.
“Like so many industries today, we are seeing challenges with talent, rising land and water prices, and the push to innovate and automate,” Niko said. “But with history on our side, great partnerships with ASU, a talented and dedicated team, and willingness to share our knowledge, we hope the next generation will prioritize horticulture as I can’t imagine a community without trees and plants.”
